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THE WELSH CHURCH IN LONDON.

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THE WELSH CHURCH IN LONDON. To the Editor of the North IVales Chronicle. Sir,- Your impression of last week contains a report of the very important and interesting meeting we had here on the 7th inst., under the presidency of the Right Hon. Lord Llanover to promote the interests of our Welsh Church. It will be remembered that one of the resolutions adopted at that meeting was to the effect, that it is most desirable that the ministrations of the Church of England, in the Welsh language, should be extended to other districts in the Metropolis—east and west-by means of a missionary clergyman." Now, since the following letter, addressed nearly seven years ago, to an honoured friend of mine, who is a high dignitary of the Church in Wales, has a direct bearing upon the above subject, perhaps you will be good enough to permit it to appear in your columns, and oblige, sir, Yours very respectfully, JOHN WILLIAMS. London, March, 1865. Rev. and Dear Sir,—I am sorry that circumstances over which I had no control have prevented your being furnished sooner with my promised state- ment on the religious condition of the Welsh people in London; and I fear that even now, I cannot enter so fully into the subject as I could have wished. I trust, however, that the few remarks which I am about to offer, will enable you to form some- thing like a correct idea both as regards their number and their condition. At the same time, I shall endeavour, agreeably with your request, to point out one or two ways in which THE CHURCH might, in my opinion, best and most effec- tually extend her operations, for the spiritual instruction of a people so peculiarly situated as our countrymen are in this vast and sinful town. First, as to the number. It is generally believed that there are at the present time (taking into account the various members of their families) between thirty and forty thousand Welsh people in London. Of these, the number attending all the Welsh places of worship on any given Sunday is certainly not more than 5000 and it is supposed that not more than 5000 attend worship where the English language is used —thus leav- ing upwards of 20,000 of our countrymen who are absent from the House of God on every Lord's day-the ma- jority of them being so wilfully, and without any reason- able excuse for their conduct. With regard to the existing provision for religious purposes among these people, it may be observed that there are here altogether about fifteen Welsh places of worship, one only of which belongs to the Established Church. Now, what I should propose is, the appointment of a Missionary clergyman, to labour here in conjunction with, and under the superintendence of, the much- respected Incumbent of the Metropolitan Welsh Church. By this means, divine services might be performed, at least once every Sabbath in two or three parts of the town, in addition to the Welsh Church. I feel quite sure that suitable rooms might be obtained for this pur- pose, at any time, free of expeiiees. And, as to the maintenance of the proposed minister, I think that sufficient funds could be raised from private subscriptions and congregational collections. At all events, were I myself an ordained clergyman, with my present experience and knowledge of the people—I ■illI'Mi!d not ha\ c hesitated to accept of such an appoint- ment, without any guarantee whatever as to the question of salary. This experiment has been already most successfully tried by one of our Welsh Di-sen ing Denominations, who have now two Missionary Ministers at work here,—sup- ported entirely by voluntary contributions. Why should not the Church, "go, and do like- wise ?" Having thus established meetings in some three or four different parts of the town. the assistance which I think could be easily obtained from the Welsh clergy visiting London during the summer months, would then become of great importance. If those gentlemen were beforehand to acquaint the Minister of the Welsh Church of their intentions, and kindly to place their services at his disposal for one or more evenings during their stay here; then arrangements might be made by which a course of lectures or sermons could be given at each of the above places, somewhat in accordance with the plana of the Diocesan Home Missionary Society. It is quite obvious, that so long as there is but one Welsh Church in London, there will be always a consi- derable number of persons (Churchmen) who being com- pelled by their various occupations, &c., to live at a great distance from that Church (and it may be from all other Welsh places of worship) and unable, as is generally the case, to appreciate English preaching,- who will be thus driven to abandon their sacred duties altogether. Hence the necessity of such an organization as that to which I have alluded. Thanking you, sir, for the interest you have taken in this matter, and hoping that means will soon be devised by which those of the Welsh people, living here, who may be of the Established Church, may be placed, at least, on the same footing, with their countrymen of any other persuasion, I beg to remain, Rev. and Dear Sir, Yours, Ac. JOHN WILLIAMS, Welsh Missionary. London, July, 1858." Miaaiona:y.